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Study summary · Nutrition, micronutrients & whole foods

Does green tea consumption or its extracts (caffeine and catechins) affect body weight and body composition in overweight or obese adults?

In one paragraph

Green Tea EGCG Extract, a systematic review and meta-analysis (Nutr Hosp 2014, PMID 24558988) — no statistically significant mean difference was found for weight loss in Asian individuals (-0.81 kg), Caucasians (-0.73 kg), or the sample as a whole (-0.78 kg). Green tea and its extracts do not significantly impact body weight in overweight or obese adults, and their minor effect on body fat percentage is not clinically meaningful.

Source: Nutr Hosp 2014, PMID 24558988 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: high

Nutr Hosp · 2014 · PMID 24558988 · DOI 10.3305/nh.2014.29.3.7118

Plain-English summary written and published by Magellan Longevity · medical review by Gabriel Radu, DO (physiatrist, NPI 1376861765). We summarize what the paper reported — we did not run this study.

The takeaway

Green tea and its extracts do not significantly impact body weight in overweight or obese adults, and their minor effect on body fat percentage is not clinically meaningful.

The question

Does green tea consumption or its extracts (caffeine and catechins) affect body weight and body composition in overweight or obese adults?

What they tested

Caffeine and catechins in green tea may have a thermogenic effect that promotes weight and body fat loss.

How they did it

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2000 and 2013 was conducted. Studies included were parallel-group, randomized, double-blind, with a minimum 12-week follow-up, in healthy individuals aged 18 or older with a BMI of 25-40 kg/m2. Data was analyzed using the random effects model with a 95% confidence interval, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Homogeneity was assessed using the I2 index.

What they found

Out of 154 retrieved studies, five were included in the quantitative analysis. No statistically significant mean difference was found for weight loss in Asian individuals (-0.81 kg), Caucasians (-0.73 kg), or the sample as a whole (-0.78 kg). Similarly, no statistically significant decrease was observed in BMI for Asian individuals (-0.65), Caucasians (-0.21), or the overall sample (-0.31 kg), nor for waist circumference (0.08 cm) or hip circumference. A small, statistically significant decrease in fat mass percentage (FM%) was found for the overall sample (-0.76), but not for Asian individuals (-0.76) or Caucasians (-0.76) as subgroups.

Mean Difference in Fat Mass Percentage (FM%)
Values shown: Mean Difference (FM%)
Asian individuals-0.76
Caucasians-0.76
Overall sample-0.76

Mean difference in fat mass percentage (FM%) for different subgroups and the overall sample. Only the overall sample showed a statistically significant decrease.

What it means

Green tea or its extracts do not have a statistically significant effect on the weight of overweight or obese adults. While a small, statistically significant decrease in the percentage of fat mass was observed, this effect is not considered clinically relevant.

Limitations

The statistically significant effect on fat mass percentage was not clinically relevant. The meta-analysis included only five studies in its quantitative analysis.

“Caffeine and catechins in green tea may have a thermogenic effect favoring weight and body fat loss”— from the published abstract, Nutr Hosp 2014

The paper at a glance

TitleEffect of green tea consumption on body weight and body composition; systematic review and meta-analysis
JournalNutr Hosp
Year2014
PMID24558988 ↗
DOI10.3305/nh.2014.29.3.7118 ↗
TopicNutrition, micronutrients & whole foods

Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗

Where Magellan uses this paper

This citation sits behind the evidence grade on the pages below. Grades are set from the research and are independent of affiliate commissions.

Green Tea EGCG Extract

For weight and metabolic syndrome, meta-analyses of randomized trials indicate that green tea catechins produce small, generally modest effects—limited reductions in body weight (on the order of 1 kg), body fat, waist circumference, total and LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting glucose—often more evident…

Green Tea EGCG Extract

Green tea is a beverage made from the unfermented leaves of Camellia sinensis and is rich in…

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Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.

Molecules & mechanisms in this paper

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Body weight

Cite this page

These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.

APA
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Does green tea consumption or its extracts (caffeine and catechins) affect body weight and body composition in overweight or obese adults? [Plain-English summary of Nutr Hosp 2014, PMID 24558988, DOI 10.3305/nh.2014.29.3.7118]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d24558988.html
BibTeX
@misc{magellan_d24558988, title = {Does green tea consumption or its extracts (caffeine and catechins) affect body weight and body composition in overweight or obese adults?}, author = {{Magellan Longevity}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d24558988.html}}, note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 24558988; DOI 10.3305/nh.2014.29.3.7118; Nutr Hosp 2014. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO}, urldate = {2026-08-11} }
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How this summary was made. Every section above restates what the published abstract of PMID 24558988 reports — the question, the design, the numbers, the authors’ own conclusion and their stated limitations. We do not add claims the paper did not make, and we keep negative and no-effect findings in. Magellan’s evidence grades are set from research like this and never from affiliate commissions.

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Educational information, not medical advice. This is a plain-English summary of published research; it is not a treatment recommendation and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual studies can be wrong, and a single paper rarely settles a question. Talk to your physician before acting on any research, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.